Silver Wings
by Schala of Zeal
Summary: Schala fights against all odds to survive and reunite with her brother. But something is terribly wrong, and she may be the world's only hope. Schala POV. Dark, twisted, and demented. Eventual SchalaMagus.
1. Chain

_Title: _Silver Wings

_Synopsis:_ Schala finds herself lost and alone in the year 590AD, amidst the war of Humans and Mystics. As her journey unfolds, it becomes clear that something did not go quite right with Crono's encounter with Lavos...

_Spoilers:_ Massive. Don't read unless you've finished the game. There are hints of Chrono Cross, but nothing to spoil if you haven't played.

_Warnings:_ A lot of violence. A LOT. It's been toned down from it's original form. However, if you can handle it, head over to adultfanfiction dot net and read it in the Chrono Trigger section, underneath the same title. There are more chapters up over there, but they will be coming down very soon as I rewrite them.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, or any of these characters (with the exception of Everstein Bekkler). They are the sole property of SquareEnix, and live only as demented illusions in my head.

_Note: _"Blah" is someone speaking, and 'Blah' is Schala thinking, unless I specify a different POV at the beginning of a chapter.

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"No, Janus!" she cried. "Stay back!"

"B-But!" Her brother looked frantic, but then froze at the sight of the huge blue portal materializing in front of them. They were being drawn towards the gate with amazing force.

"No! Janus!" Schala tried to reach out to her brother, her arms stretching as far as they could. His trembling hands reached for her as well, but it was in vain. He was too far away.

"S, Schalaaaa!"

"Janus!" She lurched towards him as he was pulled in, but she could not reach him in time. She landed on the floor painfully, the power of Lavos coursing through the room like lightening. It was loud, so terribly loud… His roar was deafening to her ears.

Unable to crawl away, Schala was pulled into the gate as well.

Then there was silence. Complete, total silence. She felt herself being pulled toward an unknown destination, drifting through an endless black void. It felt as if she would drift forever in that terrible void.

But 'forever' didn't last nearly as long as it felt it would. A light appeared at the end of the distant void and enveloped her almost as soon as she'd seen it.

The next thing she remembered was falling…and landing, with a sickening thud. She cried out in pain, having landed in a terrible position on her left leg. She tried to sit up, but waves of pain shot through her, causing her to desist rather quickly.

'Not good,' she reflected silently. This time, she tried to roll over on her belly in an attempt to take the weight off of her leg. Digging her fingers into the earth before her, she slowly pulled herself forward, but the pain overcame her will, and she had to stop.

'My leg is broken. Great, what am I going to do now? I get away from Lavos and Mother, only to get stranded here.' She buried her face in the grass, but suddenly jumped.

"Janus!" she croaked painfully, remembering that her brother had been drawn through the same timegate. Maybe he was nearby… But there was no way she could look for him in her current state.

Closing her eyes, she summoned any energy she had left and tried to heal her leg. She imagined her leg being healed, the bone melding back into place… Then she collapsed in failure, consciousness fading away.

"A human! Can we eat her? Can we can we can we!"

"You fool, she's not human. She can use magic. And besides, she's an elf, NOT a human. Look at her ears."

"Or either she's just disguised as a human!"

"…That's possible, too. But I don't think that's the case."

"Sorry, I didn't notice her ears..."

"Hmm…She'll probably take it as a compliment. But I wonder why she's so far away from the Evergreen Forest? It's not like the elves to wander far from their home."

Schala groaned in pain as she stirred, quite frightened by what she'd been hearing. "H...hello?"

"Oooh, you're alive!" She felt a strong pair of hands grasp her arms and roll her over on her back. "Those damned humans did this to you, didn't they!"

"Owww," she grimaced, her leg once again sending waves of pain through her. "My leg…"

Again, she felt a pair of strong hands grasp her leg…and surprisingly, the warm glow of healing magic. The pain was gone, and she slowly opened her eyes. Before her stood a Goblin and a Naga-ette, causing her to nearly scream.

The Goblin held up his hands before her. "We're not gonna hurt you, sweetie. We just found you, and wanted to make sure you're all right."

"I…" Schala was at a loss for words. Elf? Forest? And what was this about eating humans? 'Maybe it's best I just go along with them.' She slowly tried to get to her feet, and once again, the strong, yet gentle hands of the Goblin grasped her arms and helped her up. "I'm fine now, thank you…"

"What are you doing here in Truce Canyon? Surely you know the humans are sending daily raids after us?" The Naga-ette slithered over to her side. "And what are you doing so far away from your home?"

"I don't remember," she lied. "I was somewhere else…it was snowing."

"Snow? It's SUMMER. Are you all right, really?"

"I was…running from someone. I cast a spell, but I fell and broke my leg. I don't remember anything else."

The Goblin shook its head. "A hunting party, no doubt. They're probably around here somewhere, so we need to scram."

The Naga-ette put a gentle hand on her back. "Come with us. We'll take you home." She handed Schala a vial. "It'll restore some of your magic."

"…Thank you." She shook her head, suddenly remembering her brother once again. "Was there anyone else around! A little boy with blue hair like mine?"

"No. We only found you."

Schala hung her head. "Janus…" she muttered silently.

"What's your name, Elf?"

"It's…umm…I don't remember." Schala lied, once again. "I think…I don't remember much of anything."

"You have amnesia!"

"I…maybe…."

The Goblin glanced at her carefully. "Your magic is very strong, Miss. Someone must have been after you. Why, your magic seems to be even stronger than…no…I dare not say it…"

"It's true. I sense a powerful elemental magic within her. More powerful than Lady Flea, even."

"Flea's a man."

"That's debatable."

Schala nervously looked between them as they spoke. "Lady—err…Lord Flea? I don't recall such a magician."

"Lady Flea could help you, Miss."

"How?"

The Goblin crossed its strange arms before continuing. "That hunting party must be after you because of your magic. If you're as strong as we feel you are, you'll need to be taken to Lady Flea and Lord Slash to be safe."

'Protection doesn't sound so bad right about now… Surely once I see this Flea she'll know I'm Princess of Zeal, and I can work from there.' Slowly, Schala nodded at the two of them. "All right, I'd like to see Lady Flea."

"Lord."

"Ahh…sorry."

The Naga-ette laughed. "Flea is a shape shifter. She claims to be a man, but always takes on the form of woman."

"Interesting…"

She slowly followed behind them, her mind in a daze. 'Truce Canyon? Evergreen Forest? Flea? Slash? Where am I, really…?' She studied her surroundings carefully. It certainly didn't look anything like Zeal… The sky was too dark, the grass too dull, and the water too dirty. But surely, she couldn't be on the Terra Continent either. It was much too warm…no blizzards, and no sign of the Earthbound villages.

'Could I have gone through time? Could Belthasar have been right?'

She glanced around her continually as they traveled down rocky paths and through gaps in shrubbery. 'This world…it can't be the world of Zeal that I've grown up in. Belthasar must have been right! I must be in a different time!'

"What year is this?" she absentmindedly asked.

They both stopped and did a double take.

"I…uh…don't remember."

"It's 590 AD."

A rough, foreign voice interrupted them. "Mystics! Monsters! Attack them!"

The Naga-ette quickly grabbed Schala and dove out of the way of an arrow, and cowered behind a rock. "The humans! We'll die for sure!"

Terrified, she peered over the rock and saw a team of four hunters closing in on them. The Goblin leapt out and charged them, but was struck down by two of the men with swords.

Without thinking, Schala leapt out and summoned the power of thunder to strike down one of the men. But before she could chant another spell, something struck her painfully in the back of her head, and she went tumbling to the ground, nearly passing out. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the Naga-ette as it was slain.

"No!" she coughed, but it was too late. She turned her face down in the grass, feeling blood drip down the side of her neck. But before long, she became painfully aware of the remaining three men standing over her.

"What have we here…? Is this a mystic?"

"Careful!" another man shouted. "Don't let her cast another spell on you."

"Hmm. Put the bangle on her. She won't be able to use her magic then."

Her arm was presently jerked upwards, with a force that could have easily dislocated it. She cried out in pain and struggled up to her feet as a tight, metal amulet was forced around her wrist. "W-Wait!" she cried. "I'm human!"

"Riiiight."

"She could be an elf. Look at her ears."

"And the hair…"

"I'm not an Elf!" She tried to jerk her arm away, but the man's iron grip held firm. "I am Princess Schala of Zeal, and I command you to release me at once!" As soon as the words left her lips, she sorely regretted them. If she was indeed in 590 AD, they'd have no idea what Zeal was, or who in the world she was.

"Of course. I knew I'd seen someone like her before. The blue hair, the pointy ears."

"She looks just like that mystic terrorist, Magus!"

"She must be part of his hierarchy, then. She's too valuable to just kill."

"That right! We just heard them talking about the magician, Flea! She must be in league with them!"

Schala jerked her arm away quickly. "Unhand me!" she shouted defiantly, and brought her hands together to summon another spell. Beams of light extended from her palms as she chanted a powerful lightening attack, but before she could release the spell, it strangely fizzled and backfired on her, the force knocking her to the ground. She sat up immediately, a bit stunned by the spell's reaction.

And suddenly, the bangle on her wrist began to burn intensely, sending electrifying waves though her body for several seconds until the reaction ceased.

"No…" she muttered helplessly. The agonizing pain had not yet ceased—her magic, though weakened, was quite powerful, and it seemed as if she'd just been subjected to her own spell.

The men just laughed. "That's the beauty of those magic bangles. You see, you cast a spell, and it comes raining back down on you."

"How…did you—?"

"Shut up. We're not here to answer your questions." She presently found a crushing grip on her throat as she was forced up to her knees. "You're in league with Magus, aren't you?"

She desperately tried to pull his hand away from her throat, his iron grip constricting her airway severely.

"Answer me!"

"N-no…!" she managed to croak, desperately trying to breathe. "I'm--!" She didn't get to finish the sentence, because she was abruptly thrown back against the ground.

"Tie her up."

"No!" she screamed, but no one was around to hear her. She tried and tried to fight, but she stood no chance against three grown men. Her arms were pulled behind her back and bound so painfully tightly she could hardly move them. "Please, don't!" she begged hopelessly, tears streaming down her face. A hand was pressed tightly over her mouth, and then a good deal of cloth was forced in and secured so that she could not speak. Another rope was produced and tied around her neck so tightly she felt she could barely breathe. When they were done, they dropped her back to the ground to converse among themselves for a moment.

"What a strange one, even for a mystic. She's so human-like."

"She does seem to be human…Then again, so does that Magus, if you ask me."

"Aww, man. Come on! This is a payday for us! If she's human, we won't get squat for her!"

"Be quiet. I didn't say I particularly cared, did I? All I want is my money. Human or mystic, she's just another paycheck to me. Either way, she'll be easy enough to pass off."

"Oooo, who do you think will pay the most for her? Porre'll pay us at least four hundred!"

"Nah, Dorino will pay us at least that much! All we gotta do is claim she's related to Magus!"

"You know, Everstein Bekkler has let it be known he's looking for all sorts of creatures—humans, mystics, and monsters. His ad said he'd pay up to five thousand for a particularly rare one."

"Isn't he that guy Porre hired to find a better way to fight the mystics?"

"Yep."

"Isn't his place near the Cursed Woods?"

"Yep."

The three men glanced over at the body of their fallen comrade. "What about him?"

"Forget him. Its more for us if we don't have to share it with him."

Schala was fighting the urge of throw up as she lay on the ground, listening to them talk. The cloth that had been stuffed in her mouth was bitter with the taste of sweat and dirt, and there was nothing she could do about it. Tears streamed down her face, and her body was racked with sobs. She was lost. Completely and utterly lost. Not only did she have no knowledge about the world around her, she was far displaced from her own time.

How she longed to see her brother, and know he was all right… But it seemed that he had not fallen to this time period. She prayed silently to whatever entity that might hear her that he had landed in a much safer place than she had.

Despite her worries for Janus, she was absolutely terrified for herself. While it didn't seem they were going to kill her, she feared other things that they might do… After all, she was a pretty young woman of seventeen years. And they were probably the drunk, loner types…

She shivered at the thought. 'Best not to think of such things…'

Her thoughts were interrupted as the rope around her neck was pulled abruptly. "Come on, now. And don't try anything funny."

Schala let out a painful cry as she was drug abruptly behind them, but it was so muffled she could barely hear it herself. She stumbled to her feet and tried to keep up with their brisk pace. The entire ordeal with the Mammon Machine and Lavos had left her physically drained, and she had not had time to recover. So unfortunately, keeping up was a painful process. More than once, she had tripped, and they would not stop for her. She found herself drug along behind them on her back, the rope constricting so tight she felt it would crush her windpipe if pulled any tighter. Of course, she'd fight her way to her feet and try to keep up again.

Finally, she could keep up no longer, and fell down, simply unable to get back up. Once again, they would not stop for her, and drug her along behind. Grasping the rope with her hands, trying to relieve the pressure on her neck, she tried to pull herself back up, but tripped, and fell over the side of the nearby ledge.

'Oh no…' was the only thought she had time to process before the cord tightened sickeningly around her neck, as she dangled there on the side of the cliff. But she was too light, and the sudden trauma did not snap her neck. Instead, she hung there suffocating as they slowly pulled her back up.

"Guys, we don't want to kill her. Bekkler will only take her if she's alive."

"Fine. Carry her, then. But tie up her legs, first! I don't want to be kicked."

Again, they tossed her to the ground painfully. The rope was untied from her neck and then secured around her legs. For the brief moment of rest, Schala was very grateful. She closed her eyes and just enjoyed being able to breathe for the moment. She realized as she felt the rope around her legs that her cloak that she normally wore was long gone, as well as her shoes. Her purple dress was still intact…mostly. She could feel that the bottom of it was ripped in several places, but other than that…

Again, her thoughts were interrupted by a painfully strong grip on her waist. One of the men picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, but Schala had no strength to protest. As the upper half of her body was slung upside down, she felt blood rushing to—and out of—her head from her earlier injury.

The dizziness and pain overwhelmed her, and she was drawn back into unconsciousness.

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_AN:_ Everstein Bekkler is intended to be an ancestor of Norstein Bekkler, of the Millennial Fair. The Evergreen Forest is my own creation, and is intended to be a mystic haven. It's located near the fallen Northern Palace (In fact, it's the forest surrounding the fallen Elemental Northern Palace of Zeal, and holds the item of Great Strengh, and the item of Great Defense...but you can only choose one).

The bangle used in this chapter is, in fact, an Odine Bangle borrowed from Final Fantasy 8. It seems practical to me that humans should have a way of containing the magic power of their mystic prisoners, so I incorporated the magic-contianing jewelry into this story.

Update coming soon. Thank you for reading!


	2. Lost

Silver Wings

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, or any of these characters (with the exception of Everstein Bekkler). They are the sole property of SquareEnix, and live only as demented illusions in my head.

_Note: _"Blah" is someone speaking, and 'Blah' is Schala thinking, unless I specify a different POV at the beginning of a chapter.

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Chapter 2

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_'You were born into this world to bring it new life, Schala. You are here to save it.'_

Slowly, Schala began to awaken, the sounds of a fire crackling nearby. A cold wind blew, the chill causing her to shiver. 

That voice…who? What in the world?

Memories flooded back to her in a dizzying flash,

Lavos…Zeal…Mystics…and her captors…

Rightfully so, she became quite terrified once again. She laid very still, keeping her breathing very slow and even until she could figure out where they were. After listening for a moment, she was sure her back was turned to the three men. Finally she opened her eyes, seeing it was very dark, a new moon hiding away from the night sky. She could see flickers of a fire casting shadows upon the grassy field before her, and using it to her advantage, spied on them as they ate and drank.

Another gust of cold wind blew, and she involuntarily shuddered. Her cloak was long gone, and her dress was too thin to keep her warm through the cold night. Thankfully, it didn't seem as if she'd attracted any attention from her captors, so she let out a silent shiver of relief.

As she laid there, she calculated her options, which were very few indeed. She was still bound and gagged, so there was virtually no hope for escape. Her thoughts were halted as her ears faintly detected the sound of water being sloshed on the ground behind her.

'I'm so thirsty…'

Any moisture that her mouth may have had in it was dried by the disgusting mouthful of cloth that had been forced in. And somehow she doubted that there would be any kindness on behalf of her captors…something about the way they'd drug her down the side of the canyon...

On top of that, her neck hurt terribly from having been used 'leashed,' and from having fallen over the edge of the cliff. She counted her blessings that she was lucky enough to not have died instantly... As she laid there, she briefly considered healing herself, but then remembered the bangle that was painfully fastened on her arm. It wouldn't work even if she tried.

'Everything hurts…' She blinked back tears as she tried to hold still. 'I can't believe it, but I really want to go home…'

'Home' of course, was Zeal, under the rule of her oppressive mother. She'd be with her brother…but also forced to power the Mammon Machine daily. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine the picture-perfect scene of Enhasa—the crystalline blue water, the rolling green fields, and the bright, warm sun. Another cold gust of wind caused her to shudder involuntarily, and she tried in vain to get out of the icy wind.

This of course, only served to inform her captors that she was, in fact, awake. As she heard the footsteps approaching her back, she wanted to sink into the ground. But there was no such blessing, as she felt a pair of hands roughly pick her up and set her on her feet. She could hardly keep her balance, and nearly fell, but she was grabbed from behind and firmly trapped in place.

One of the others slowly undid her gag around her mouth, and pulled out the cloth that was in there. Schala gasped for air, vainly trying to get the disgusting taste of the cloth out of her mouth.

"What's your name, girl?"

A bit dazed, she muttered, "…Wha? My name—?"

Her weak reaction was met with a swift punch across her face, causing the entire right side to tingle in pain. She drew in a sharp breath, trying not to cry.

"Yeah, you know. N-A-M-E. A name. Get with it, lady. I don't have time to put up with you, so just stop being so damn hardheaded. Unless you'd like me to spell things out more clearly?" He finished up the sentence with another punch to her solar plexus.

She cried out sharply, dizzy and sickened from the blow. "I'm…Schala," she finally managed to whisper.

"Schala? Strange name. You're with the mystics, aren't you?"

"No! I'm—ahhh!" She was cut off again by another punch, this one to her jaw again. Blood spattered out from a busted lip.

"Lying is bad, Schala. Why don't you just tell us the truth?"

"I…am…telling you the truth. Oh, please don't hit me again…" She tried to gasp for air, but the stiff upright position she was being held in made it quite difficult.

The man tilted his head slightly at her. "What? You mean, like this?" He carried his entire body weight through and punched her again in the stomach, eliciting yet another cry from her. "Or, like this?" Again, he punched her jaw exceeding hard, another whimper of pain coming out. "Or you know, maybe I'm being too gentle…" This time, his fist connected with the softer tissues of her nose, shattering the cartilage and bone beneath.

Through the immense pain, Schala heard herself scream in pain. "Please…no…stop," she gasped, trying to find her breath. Blood trickled down her face and into her mouth, and she grimaced at the metallic taste. "I don't know where I am. I was just looking for my brother."

They all laughed at her. "Right. That's why those mystics were helping you."

"I fell and they healed me. That's all."

"A mystic wouldn't ever help a human. Not unless it was planning to have it for lunch."

Schala grimaced. "It's the truth…" Tears now poured down her face again, as she readied herself for another blow.

He leaned forward, and grinned a terrifying grin. "I believe you."

"W-What?"

"I believe you. I believe they healed you and helped you. I just don't believe that you're human like you claim, that's all."

"But I am!"

"Humans don't use magic."

"Well I do!" Her response was a bit too emphatic, and it earned her another punch across the face. Tears streamed out of her eyes as she sorely regretted her words.

"Don't raise your voice to me, you demi-human scum." He glanced between the other two men, an icy look in his eyes. "Drop her on her stomach. Get the staff."

She landed with an unceremonious thud on the ground. With her arms bound behind her back, and her feet bound together, she could still do little else than move her head. And she watched with wide eyes as her interrogator came back with his weapon.

The first strike was to her left shoulder, and she screamed in pain as she felt it shatter underneath the wooden staff. "Please…don't!" she choked, but couldn't finish when another blow snapped the bone above her elbow in two, half of it puncturing the skin. He finished off the left arm by breaking the delicate wrist and finger bones, making any movement she might attempt excruciating.

Schala was on the verge of passing out, and in reality, she prayed she would. She buried her face down in the muddy grass, and screamed when the same assaults were carried out on her right arm. By the time it was over, she was sobbing so hard she could hardly breathe.

The man was obviously very irritated. "You know what, we're leaving. Put the fire out and grab her. We're going to get our money tonight."

'I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home,' she cried silently. What had she done to deserve this? Was it channeling the powers of Lavos for her evil mother? She quieted her cries, and instead sobbed into the ground, her mouth miserably dry, and her body aching so terribly that she wished she'd died in the Ocean Palace.

Once they were done, they roughly grabbed her and threw her over a shoulder, and continued on. Of course, with a multitude of broken bones and a bleeding nose, every step they took was pure torture for her. She could feel the bone puncturing the skin and protruding out of the left arm, and every other broken fragment in her body. She groaned and sobbed, trying not to raise her voice too much, lest she get beaten again.

"That's IT. Gag her again, cause I don't want to listen to her whine all the way to the Cursed Woods."

She was dropped on the ground again, and she sharply cried out. The pain felt as if it were too much for her to endure, and she cried and cried, hoping that she'd pass out like before.

But there was no such luck this time as the same vile cloth was forced in her mouth, and she was gagged.

After what seemed like an eternity of torture, they arrived at the strangest house. Schala couldn't get a very good look at it, nor did she care at the current moment. She tried to think of anything else other than where she was, of what she was feeling, until once again, she was thrown down on a warm, wooden floor.

"You know, I do prefer my subjects in one piece when I receive them…" she heard a cold voice comment.

The room was very bright and warm, compared to the outside, and she squeezed her eyes shut to try to block out the painful light.

"She is. Just a few broken bones."

"A few…? Hmm, well, I suppose I can't be so choosy. Set her up on the couch. I want a good look at her before I pay you."

Again, she was all but slung into the seat, her eyes opening wide with pain. She'd landed on a particularly bad spot on her right arm, and she tried and tried to move off of it. Unable to fight it any longer, she tried to heal herself, which resulted in the same, painful reaction as before. Tears streamed down her face as she looked into his eyes, watching his stare with terror.

"Vos, heal her. I can't tell anything as long as she's squirming like that. Hurry, before she gets blood everywhere."

Schala's eyes fell upon a short, scaly green creature standing beside her, who held up his hands and brought down the restorative healing energy she so craved. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind to best accept the magic, as she was quite desperate to make the pain stop. The spell was strong enough to restore her broken bones, and a bit of her energy.

"That's better. Now tell me, why do I want to pay you for an elf when I can just go hunt one?"

"You saw her. This one can use magic!"

"They all can."

"Not like her. She snapped her finger and killed one of my guys without even blinking." He pointed at her, feigning anger.

She studied the man her captors were conversing with. He was tall and had black hair, and he seemed to be as pale as a ghost. "Really…?" He got down close to her face and examined. "Yes, yes, I see elemental magic here… Why, she…!" He went silent and stood up, turning towards the men quickly. "I suppose since I've had a famine of test subjects lately I'll pay you the maximum five thousand."

Schala nervously darted her eyes between the two parties. 'Pay? Wait a minute here, I'm not a slave!' Her face was drenched in sweat

"No way. Twenty thousand easy for a catch like her. She told the mystics she was with that she was related to Flea!"

If she could've protested, she would have, but her mouth was still tied tightly. 'I never said that,' she silently glared.

"Hmm, too bad then. I suppose you'll have to take her somewhere else."

"Guardia Castle will pay us that, easy!"

The tall, skinny man crossed his arms. "You forget that Guardia is not so interested in our little endeavors. They'd pay you a small sum and then execute her for treason."

"Seventeen thousand."

"Twelve. Four thousand for each of you."

There was silence for a moment. Finally, after glancing between the other two, he said, "Deal."

Schala glanced back and forth in horror as the money changed hands, and her previous captors left, laughing in glee at their fortune.

'Oh no, what am I in for now?' This new man didn't look like he was too kind… He was tall, dark, and almost sickly looking. He had long, slender arms and long legs, and he looked deathly pale, reminding her of a vampire. He shut and locked the door behind them, and turned back to her, a sickening grin on his face.

"Well, hello there." He slowly walked over, and to her amazement, took the gag off her mouth and began to untie her. "This is no way for you to be welcomed into my home, now is it?" His breath was deathly cold against her neck as he worked to untie her arms, but he was very gentle. "What is your name, dear?"

"...Schala."

"Are you cold, dear?"

"Um, yeah. A little."

"Vos, would you fetch Miss Schala a blanket?"

She watched as the scaly creature waddled off and returned with a big, fluffy blanket. Maybe things weren't going to be so bad after all, she mused. "Thank you," she quickly whispered, wrapping herself up.

"You're quite welcome." He moved to untying the bounds from her legs. "Forgive me, I've been quite rude. My name is Everstein Bekkler, a scientist from Porre." The ropes snapped free.

Schala swung her legs over the side of the chair, and rubbed them gingerly. "Umm, why exactly am I here?" She'd tried to say it with a steady voice, but it had come out as a terrified shiver.

"Those men brought you here because you can use magic. They assumed you must have been one of the mystic elves from the Evergreen Forest. But let me tell you something, dear. I've seen many elves in my day, and you are neither elf nor mystic. So what is a human like you doing with magic?"

"I was born with it." She responded immediately, but sorely regretted as soon as she'd said it.

"Humans aren't born with magic."

"…" She rubbed her wrists slightly. 'Great, another interrogation.' She had to careful what she said. If she really was in another time, whenever 590 AD was, she had to be mindful not to corrupt any timelines. She had a sneaking suspicion that she was in the future—the ice age was gone, humans had seemingly spread out to the corners of the world, and—most disturbing for her—Zeal was missing from the sky.

Bekkler mindfully crossed his arms. "Who are your parents?"

Schala frowned. Maybe it was best that she try faking amnesia once again. "I don't remember."

"What do you remember?"

"Not much. I'm Schala, and I'm from Zeal. That's about it."

The other creature there, 'Vos', came in once more, carrying a tray that had a plate of bread and pitcher of water. He set it down in front of her and stood back.

Her eyes wandered to the full pitcher of water. She was so thirsty, and that glass looked so inviting.

"Are you hungry, Miss Schala?" Bekkler asked her.

"Yes, very much so…"

He smiled that bone-chilling smile, and motioned towards the tray. "Please, help yourself."

She didn't need to be told twice as she snatched the pitcher and began to gulp the water without bothering with a cup. After a few moments, she realized how terrible she must have looked, and her royal properness caused her to reprimand herself. "Sorry."

"Don't mind me. Those idiots probably didn't give you any water, did they?"

"No," she muttered as she poured water in the glass cup on the tray, and with a trembling hand, gulped it down quickly. She tried not to look so awful, but in truth, she was famished, and gave up trying to look decent. She grabbed a piece of bread and all but stuffed it into her mouth, washing it down with another gulp of water.

"…Or food, I surmise."

She swallowed her mouthful and wiped a few crumbs off of her mouth. "I'm sorry."

"Eat and drink as much as you want. You'll need all your strength."

She could detect a sinister sneer in his last sentence. Swallowing another mouthful of bread, she weakly asked, "For what?"

He leaned forward and looked at her in the eyes. "Miss Schala, there is terrible war about to start. Surely you remember this?"

She shook her head. "I don't remember anything."

Bekkler sighed. "There are us humans, and then there are mystics. Mystics represent a whole broad range of creatures, everything from elves to monsters. We try to live in peace, but the mystics are pressing on our borders, attacking our towns, and savagely killing our children. They use magic to terrorize us." He pointed to the scaly, green creature that had brought Schala her food. "This is Vos, and he is a mystic. He's the one who healed you when you came in. He has been rehabilitated from his savage ways to be a peaceful creature."

Schala took a small sip of water this time. Her stomach was sickly churning, letting her know she was drinking much too fast. "Why do they attack us?" She set down the cup, and grabbed a towel on the tray. Pouring a bit of water on it, she tried to wash away some of the blood and mud from her face.

"They have a new leader, one that they call Magus. The previous three mystic lords made him their king. His power is beyond anything we've ever seen before. Those that go against him disappear, and never return. Two of Guardia's best knights recently had the misfortune to run into him and the three mystic lords, and they've not been heard from since."

"Mystic lords?"

"Flea, the feared magician, Slash, and Ozzie. Their names strike fear into every human's heart."

Schala coughed, and took another sip of water. She was getting quite dizzy, trying to figure out all the information. Didn't the mystics that had helped her want to take her to Flea for her own protection? And didn't they lose their lives trying to defend her? She shook her head slightly. They must've sensed how strong she was, if it were true that no magic-using humans remained. But if that were the case, wouldn't they have just told her the how to get there and sent her on her way? She'd received much more consideration from the mystics so far than from humans. If she were free to go, which she knew she wasn't, she knew she'd try to find her way to Flea for safety.

"The only mystics I remember seeing were running from a hunting party." She quickly took another sip of water, the dizziness in her head getting worse. And she was getting so hot… Strands of her sapphire blue hair were sticking to her forehead, and she tried to wipe them away.

"Yes, unfortunately, they leave us no choice but to keep them away from our children." He grasped her shoulder and pulled her close to him, mere inches from her face. She felt sweat beading on her forehead, and she grunted as he wiped it away with a cloth. "But that is why you're here. We need your help, you see." He released her, and stood. "With your help, and your magic, perhaps we can find better ways of healing our sick children, and our wounded soldiers."

So that's what he really wanted—her magic. And his attempt at moving her by mentioning 'young children' didn't sway her in the least. "And killing even more mystics…? What about their children? What about their wounded soldiers?"

He laughed that chilling laugh once again. "Ahh, there is no need to pretend they have feelings. Besides, we must kill them before they kill us." He turned his back to her. "So, will you help us?"

Schala shuddered. "I…. But isn't senseless killing wrong?"

Like a flash of lightening, he'd swung around and grasped her shoulders, pushing her back in the seat. "I won't ask you again. Will you help us?"

She shivered. "…No. Now, let me go." She'd tried to sound strong, but her voice was barely a whisper.

He slowly stood and crossed his arms. "Ah, that is unfortunate. But I do commend you for your bravery. But the answer is 'no,' you may not leave."

Schala tried to stand, but dizziness overwhelmed her and she fell to the floor. What was going on? Why was she feeling so sick all of a sudden? Panting, she tried to crawl back into the seat, but her arms didn't have the strength. Suddenly, the sickening realization hit.

"The water…you drugged it…"

Bekkler laughed. "Oh, you are a smart little girl. Yes, I did, because you see, you will help us, whether you want to or not." He picked her up and helped her back into the seat. He then snapped his fingers, and two men walked into the room. "Take Schala to her room."

"You bastard," she finally managed to croak. "I won't help you."

"I have my ways to persuade people. A fragile little flower like you won't last very long. You'll be begging me to let you help before it's over."

Two pairs of hands grasped either arm, and she felt herself being drug down a set of stairs. As the drug-induced darkness enveloped her, she faintly heard a whisper in her ears.

_'Don't be afraid, Schala.'_

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_AN:_ The 'two knights' comment is a reference to Glenn/Frog and Cyrus.

Update coming soon. Thanks for reading!


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